Heat economizer



March 3, 1936. w. J. SPOELSTRA HEAT ECONOMIZER Filed April 30, 1934 Patented 3,. 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,032,553 H AT ECONOMIIZEB, William J. Spoelstra, Hawthorne, N. J. Application April 30,1934, Serial No. 723,281

. 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a new and improved type of heat economizer which is adapted tions which can be heated with difiicult'y or not at all by steam or hot water heating apparatii.

An object of the invention is to provide an economizer in which a .most efficient heat exchange 10 can be effected by passing the combustion gases counter-current to the direction in which the air' to be heated is passed. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact and efficient economizer which can be inserted in the flue pipe leading from the boiler with little difficulty and at a minimum expense.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a valve construction whereby the entire economizer may be shut off from the heating operation 2 and the economizeritself utilized for cooling purposes while the furnace is used for heating hot water.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed descrip- 25 tion below, the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of elements which will Figure 1 is a side elevational view with certain 30 parts in section so as to show the construction more clearly,

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1 through the economizer, at section line 2-2. I I

35 Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view of a modified type of economizer, and

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of a further modification.

/ In the drawing i indicates the usual furnace voirs and pipes eliminated for greater clearness. The smoke flue of the furnace is shown at 2 and the chimney flue at 3. Located in the flue pipe 2 is the economizer 4 which may be detachably in- 45 terposed therein.

The economizer 4 has a substantially rectangular configuration shown more particularly in Figure 2 and comprises the air pipes 5 which are fixed in position in the partitions 6 and 1 thereby 50 forming a compartment through which the combustion gases may circulate around the pipes or tubes 5. The economizer 4 comprises a sheet metal shell member 40 having an exterior surface 4| which with the partitions 6 and l and with the 55 bottom of the economizer define a sheet metal used for heating purposes with the usual resercontainer. Extending downwardly: in the econ omizer is a partition member 8 which terminates at one endat the point 9.

Pivoted in substantial alignment with the partition 8 is a fiat valve l0 capable of being actu- 5 atd by a handle member I l to any desired position. The flat valve I0 may be pivoted in the partitions 6 and 1 extending below the exterior walls l2 of the economizer.

The construction as shown in the drawing is 1 such that at the ends of the air tubes 5 of the economizer'and outside of the partition walls 6 and I there is providedtwo compartments I 3 and. In the compartment l3 there is preferably located a pusher fan operated by the mo- 5 tor l6 for forcing the air through the air tubes 5. The air supply is secured through a pipe [1 which may lead to the exterior of the house or to any other desired point for securing fresh air.

In the other compartment I4 there is preferably provided any practical type of humidifying apparatus such as l8 which is formed of porous brick capable of absorbing moisture from a water container 33. The air coming from the pipe I! and forced through the air tubes 5 by the fan 15 is led through the distributing pipe l9 from which branch pipes such as 20 lead the air to the various rooms desired to beheated or cooled by means of' the registers 2|. It is obvious that due to the forced air pressure the heated 'or cooled air may be led to locations at a lower tus such as l8 may be placed in the compart- -ment I3 and the fan I5 placed in the compartment l4 where in such case it would exercise a suction effect for drawing the air through the tubes 5. Also any desired air purifying system may be connected up with the pipe ll so as to 40 purify the air before the air is heated, or-if desired such air purifying apparatus could be located so as to come into operation after the air has been heated. Preferably t e economizer 4 is jacketed as shown at 22 so as to provide insulation for the economizer. As will be noted from the construction of the jacket it forms a passageway forthe air from the compartment l3 to the compartment l4 and naturally heat is absorbed by this air through contact with the exterior surface of the container. The space with the air circulating therethrough increases the capacity of the economizer and tends to prevent heat loss thereby acting as an insulating medium.

' n will be noted that the flue 2 connects with the economizer at one of the lower comers thereof as shown particularly in Figure 2 thereby forcing the combustion gases to travel in an upward and diagonal direction towards the opening 23 in the partition 8. This is the most efilcient method of securing heat exchange. After passing through the opening 23 the combustion gases will then have to movein a downward diagonal direction to the outlet 24 of the flue connected upon the other side of the economizer. As will benoted, the economizer is provided with tubular flanges 25 which will flt into the fine 2 at any desired point.

When it is desired to operate the furnace as inthe summer. time, for heating hot water, then in such case the combustion gases can be passed directly to the chimney by placing the by-pass valve III in closed position. At such time also the economizer can be used for circulation of relatively cool air through the various compart- I as the heat economizer. In' this case we have a tubular economizer which has a partition. 30 therein arranged in the same way as in the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the partition extends to the bottom surface since there is no necessity for a ,valve such as the valvev Hi. The economizer in this case is connected ,to the flue '2 by the flanges 3|.

In Figure 4 we have afurther modifidation of the economizer which is essentially the same as thatshown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the economizer is inserted in apportion of the flue pipe. whichextends vertically such as shown at 32. The other details in theeconomizer shown in Figure 4 are the... same as thosedn Figures 1 and 2.

An important feature of the 'economizer de.-

scribed. above is the factthat no downdraft re 'sistance is caused by the economizer arrangement. Whenever an economi zer is so located-as to cause. a down draft resistance'it reacts'against the draft vnecessary for operating the furnace proper and may make it essential tohave forced draft. By the construction described above also it is possible to use the heat economizer in th'e summer timeas a cooling medium whileat the same time using the furnace forheating hot water. I v

'The economizer may if desired be .ocated in down draft resistance.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the construction described above,. but it is understood that all such changes are contemplated as within the invention defined in the following claims.

I claim:-- 1. An economizer comprising a sheet metal container, partitions located transversely of said a series of tubes mounted in said transverse partitions, a longitudinally extending'partition ex-- tending part way between said transverse partitions to providean'opening at one end, means for attaching the container to a flue pipe at the other end from said opening and means for bypassing combustion gases through said economizer: r

container, means for leading combustion gases into said container at a lower corner thereof, a pair of spaced partitions in said container, tubes flxed in said partitions, a longitudinally extending partition extending part way between said spaced partitions to form an opening removed from the entrance of said combustion gases and a by-'-pass valve cooperating with said longitudinal partition for by-passing combustion gases through said economizer.

tubes fixed in said partitions, a jacket surround U ing partially-said container and spaced therefrom, means for forcing fresh air throughsaid tubes and through the space between said container and jacket, means for by-passing combus:

tion gases around said tubes and for shutting.

out said ,gases from said economizer. I 6. An economizer comprising a sheet me container, a jacket spaced from said container defining a space through which air may be passed for insulation and heating purposes, transverse partitions provided in said container, a series of tubes mounted'in saidtransverse partitions, a longitudinally extending partition, means for ata flue pipe, means causing combustion gasesto traverse said container first in one direction along said longitudinally extending partition and then .in the opposite direction and means for by-passing combustion gases through said economize'r, WILLIAM J. SPOELSTRA.

taching said container at one end thereof to 20 3. An economizer comprising a sheet metal 

